BizClik CEO Talks Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Success

Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Chicago was a resounding success, bringing together leading voices in procurement and supply chain from across the US and further afield over two action packed days.  

The event ran alongside Sustainability LIVE Chicago and took place at Chicago’s iconic Convene Willis Tower.

This new event is a milestone for BizClik, the leading UK-based digital media and events business, which entered the in-person events market in September 2021.

Chief Executive Officer Glen White reflects on the growth of both Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE and Sustainability LIVE, and looks ahead to how the company can build on its success.

From necessity to global series

BizClik’s event division started during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by client need during lockdowns.

"The pandemic drove our clients to ask for us to do virtual events, which we did because they needed the leads and we needed the business," Glen explains. "Suddenly, we found out that we were pretty good at it."

That initial success led to the creation of the LIVE series. Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE marked the company’s first physical event in September 2021.

"It was the first time they'd been to any physical event since the lockdown," Glen says. "It was quiet to begin with, but it got us going."

Why Chicago?

BizClik’s decision to hold its first US edition of Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE in Chicago was based on the city’s strategic position.

"It's central, a great hub for people to come from the east coast as well as the west coast, but it's an industrial heartland of the US," Glen says.

The move paid off, with the Chicago series hosting many of the industry’s largest and leading organisations and leaders.

"We had an entire floor with three very distinct stages," Glen continues. "It's incredible and our team worked tirelessly to pull this off."

The agenda included speakers from global firms such as American Express, MasterCard, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Walgreens and Walmart. These industry leaders discussed how sustainability in supply chains has become essential in sectors from automotive and aerospace to pharmaceuticals, healthcare and consumer goods.

"We had more than 60 really top level executive speakers from some of the world's largest corporations," Glen adds.

Politics, sustainability and business strategy

Changes in global politics, especially new tariffs introduced by Donald Trump’s administration, shaped discussions during the event.

"You always knew when Trump came back in that he never does anything quietly," Glen notes.

"We need to understand how these tariffs impact China, Europe, the UK, Canada and more. People are trying to understand that and how it impacts sustainability and the supply chain."

While external factors affect decisions, Glen stresses that the core value of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategies remains intact.

"We see people bringing global decarbonisation into how they're developing their net-zero strategies, how they're integrating the energy transition into their programmes," he says.

The emphasis now is on applying these strategies, not just discussing them.

At the core of BizClik’s events is the argument for embedding sustainability into business. Glen recounts a comment from a major speaker at a previous event – "welcome to capitalism" – underlining how sustainability has become a business necessity.

"Sustainability needs to be embedded into the business strategy," Glen explains. "Unsustainable business is no longer sustainable."

This approach ties directly into Scope 3 emissions – those arising from activities in a company’s supply chain. These emissions, Glen notes, make up the majority of a company’s carbon footprint.

"Scope 3 emissions often come from the top 20% of suppliers," he says. "Companies are score-boarding those suppliers and, if they are taking their sustainability more seriously, they have a greater chance of winning the supply chain business."

Eyes on the globe

Chicago is only part of BizClik’s wider international plans.

"Technology is global; AI is global; supply chains are global; and these corporations [that we work with] are global," Glen says.

The company has already confirmed further events in London this September, Climate Week in New York, and a sustainability conference aligned with COP 30 in São Paulo.

As plans form for a return to Chicago next year, demand remains high.

"Every workshop is oversubscribed; every sponsor event is oversubscribed; we couldn't sell any more tickets even if we wanted to."

Explore the latest edition of Procurement Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE.

Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.

Procurement Magazine is a BizClik brand